In a gas turbine, fuel is delivered through a supply pipe to a combustion chamber where the fuel is mixed with hot air from a compressor to produce a working gas. Particularly, fuel is passed through a rocket unit which includes rockets, the fuel is directed through the rockets into respective swirlers, wherein the hot air from compressor is turbulated and mixed with the fuel and discharged through outlets of the respective swirlers.
During an operation of the gas turbine, cold gas is supplied through the supply pipe; however, other components may be heated to high temperature from hot air coming out of the compressor of the gas turbine. The hot air causes thermal expansion of various components of the gas turbine. It is therefore important to provide a sealing arrangement to prevent hot air from the compressor to heat other components of the gas turbine, as well as prevent the hot air from the compressor to exit the gas turbine to the surrounding environment.
Accordingly, a manifold surrounding the supply pipe and having an internal distribution system of fuel supply is used. However, the manifold is expensive since it is made of material which is corrosion resistant.
It is therefore desirable to provide a flexible and cost effective sealing arrangement for a gas turbine to prevent hot air from the compressor exiting the gas turbine. Further, it is desirable that the sealing arrangement also reduces thermal stress arising due to thermal expansion of the components exposed to the hot air during operation of the gas turbine.